1971-07-20
By Henry Bradsher
Page: 7
Dacca, July 19
The East Pakistan government official broke down and cried. “I don't know how we can go on” he told a visitor in the privacy of his home.
None of us Bengalis know when the Army might decide to pick us up. Seventy government officers have disappeared, we don’t know where, and we are all afraid.”
When the Army from West Pakistan moved into the eastern province, its main targets were supporters of Sheik Mujibur Rahman's Awami League, the dominant political party here.
But now it seems to be practising terror against the entire social structure of East Pakistan in order to better control it as a colony of a West Pakistan minority.
A leading lawyer and bank director or Dacca. Mr Abdul Ahad, who took no part in politics, was seized by the Army, released, seized again and his fate is now unknown.
Another non-political figure, Mr Alamgir Rahman, head of the Esso petrol network in East Pakistan, also disappeared.
There are many other examples of the Army removing Bengali leaders who had never publicly opposed West Pakistan domination of this province.
The Pakistan government has yet to present evidence to support its assertions that a rebellion of East Pakistan forces was planned and Army action was necessary to avert it. But then the official explanation of what happened here in March and April has changed several times.
A government White Paper is in its final draft form in Islamabad, the national capital, and will be released as the definitive version of the government’s asc—Washington Star
Calcutta, July 19.—Latest official figures show that a total of 6,869,000 East Pakistanis have taken refuge in India since March. The influx of refugees.. was still continuing and an average of 20,000 people crossed into India every day between July 8 and 14
—Is there a bloodless way out, page 12